


Terminus AU

by RogersBz14



Series: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare AUs [2]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass, Burns, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Carrying, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protectiveness, Separations, Spoilers, Tags Are Hard, What-If, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-02 10:11:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16784878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogersBz14/pseuds/RogersBz14
Summary: "It’s okay. I’ll see you on the other side.”Mitchell flinched at the memory of Will and returned his attention back to Gideon. “B-But-”“Launch in t-minus one minute.”“Mitchell, there’s no time! You need to stop the launch!!”Before he could respond, he felt Gideon shove him down the vent towards the rocket.While storming through Atlas headquarters to destroy Manticore, Mitchell and Gideon are forced to confront their pasts and insecurities.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *shows up late to the abandoned party with Dunkin' Doughnuts*
> 
> Hey y'all!
> 
> It's been a long time! I've been meaning to get back into writing, and I figured that the best way to practice is to write a story for a fandom that I actually began writing for, way back when. 
> 
> I recently replayed Advanced Warfare and I realized something: I prefer installments where the protagonist is alone, and must face a great threat by themselves; to me, it adds a bit of intensity to an otherwise linear map and campaign. Also, "Terminus" felt far more rushed than I originally realized... which kind of frustrated me since the rest of the campaign was pretty awesome -- and because Modern Warfare 2 and 3 had such stunning endings. So, I figured that I'd write a short story that would attempt to fill this weird feeling in my heart.
> 
> In order to better understand the full weight of Mitchell's health, it might be helpful to read my "Captured AU" story first :)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shows up late to the abandoned party with Dunkin' Doughnuts*
> 
> Hey y'all!
> 
> It's been a long time! I've been meaning to get back into writing, and I figured that the best way to practice is to write a story for a fandom that I actually began writing for, way back when.
> 
> I recently replayed Advanced Warfare and I realized something: I prefer installments where the protagonist is alone, and must face a great threat by themselves; to me, it adds a bit of intensity to an otherwise linear map and campaign. Also, "Terminus" felt far more rushed than I originally realized... which kind of frustrated me since the rest of the campaign was pretty awesome -- and because Modern Warfare 2 and 3 had such stunning endings. So, I figured that I'd write a short story that would attempt to fill this weird feeling in my heart.
> 
> In order to better understand the full weight of Mitchell's health, it might be helpful to read my "Captured AU" story first :)
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

_“It was a plan only Gideon could have come up with -- a frontal assault on Iron's stronghold using the two mech suits we found back at the base. Drones would fly us in -- after that we'd be on our own.”_

**NEW BAGHDAD, IRAQ** **  
** **JANUARY 8, 2061 -- 1900 HRS**

“Sentinel Two-One, we are still detecting high levels of contamination in the city. We will not be able to get ground forces to assist you, over.”  
“Copy that, Kingpin.” Click. Beat. Buzz. “How are you holding up, mate?”  
Mitchell, who had briefly become lost in pain and aches that littered his battered body, viciously shook his head in order to remove any lingering remnants of exhaustion from his mind. “I’m super,” he responded with a hint of sarcasm.  
“Listen,” Gideon began, “I know it’s been a rough couple of days, but, if you want to see Atlas burn to the ground, I need you to give it everything you’ve got out there. When this whole thing blows over, we can treat ourselves to a couple of cold-ones and sleep until next month. God knows we fuckin’ earned a break.”  
The younger soldier opened his mouth to respond, but was silenced by a painful shock that coursed through his entire left arm. He couldn’t prevent a curse from leaving his mouth.  
“You good?” Gideon asked.  
Mitchell’s answer was yet again cut off by another painful shock that agitated additional wounds he received inside the Atlas Research Center. Slowly, as his wounds continued to scream, the deafening helicopter blades whipping through the air were drowned out by his own erratic breaths and heartbeats. He couldn’t see properly. He couldn’t think properly. He-  
“Mitchell, what’s your status?”  
The younger soldier flinched as Gideon’s voice forced itself into his foggy mind. “I’m not doing so great,” he replied honestly.  
After a couple of moments, Gideon said, “Mitchell, hang in there. We’re so close to burning Atlas to the ground, but we’ll only succeed if you stay sharp.” A pause. “I’ll be right by your side, mate. We’re going to see Atlas fall… Together.”  
Mitchell focused on the sincerity of his comrade’s words. He couldn’t let his wounds become a burden to the mission or to his brother-in-arms. He couldn’t let his own doubts or fears affect his performance. He wouldn’t let Gideon or Sentinel Task Force fall -- not on his watch. After everything he and his squad have endured, he refused to let Irons win. Closing his eyes, he viciously shut down any lingering traces of discomfort or exhaustion from his mind. He readied his AST and returned his attention back to New Baghdad, which was becoming swarmed with Atlas troops.  
“Enemy forced are closing on your position,” Ilona announced from the communicator.  
“I see them. Are you ready, Mitchell?” Gideon asked.  
With a determined nod, the younger soldier responded with a firm, “Yes sir!”  
Mitchell could practically hear Gideon’s smirk from the communicator. “Let’s do this. Weapons free! Light ‘em up!!”

Immediately, the two soldiers were consumed by gunfire coming from the streets and an overpass. They were quick to eliminate any incoming forces, their AST suits providing them with a significant amount of protection. As they progressed over towards a river, enemy boats swarmed the area. Mitchell focused his attention on the river and began to destroy any boats that contained Atlas troops. Occasionally, Gideon would toss him a compliment or motivational words; these actions, while small, fueled Mitchell’s own strength.  
“200 meters to drop point!” Ilona announced  
The two continued to alternate between demolishing troops on the water or on the land, left and right. Eventually, they managed to secure the river and rid it from any incoming Atlas soldiers.  
“Get ready to drop,” Gideon warned.  
After a few beats, Ilona ordered, “This is it! Detach now!!!”

Mitchell watched Gideon’s AST fall into the river before his own vision was consumed by water. The pair landed at the bottom like a rock before steadily moving towards their objective.  
“Kingpin,” Gideon began, “we’re subsurface. Approaching the breach point.”  
“Two-one, be advised. We will be forced to strike the command center if you are unable to stop the launch. We’ll risk further Manticore contamination, but it will be our only option. If you don’t think you can stop it, get the hell out of there.”  
“Copy that,” Gideon responded before directing his attention to Mitchell. “Looks like we’re gonna have to push extra hard if we want to keep our heads. You gonna make it?”  
“It’s too late to turn back now,” Mitchell responded. “I’ll be fine.”  
“Good. Remember: I’ll be right by your side.”  
“Copy that,” he responded, a small smile appearing on his lips.  
Slowly, as the pair moved through the water and towards the breach point, Ilona’s voice reappeared. “Gideon, thermal readings are spiking inside the command center. They’re going to launch soon!”  
“We’ll make it!” True to his word, they finally arrive to the breach point. “Mitchell, on me.”

They emerge from the water and ascend a staircase, their AST suits stomping through the corridor. “Ilona, we’re inside,” the older soldier informed.  
“You should be next to the launch pad.”  
“Copy that. Mitchell, follow me!”  
When the pair reach the top of the staircase, alarms suddenly fill the air. Immediately, Atlas troops begin to pour from the room and hallways. Similar to their attack outside, the duo begin to eliminate all enemy troops that dare to enter their fields of vision. Despite their heavy armor and extra weaponry, the surplus enemy soldiers made it difficult for Mitchell to pinpoint every single one of them. He was frequently caught off guard by a soldier who was perched above with a missile launcher. It was at this point when his old wounds began to reclaim their presence. Still, he gritted his teeth and moved forward with Gideon by his side. They slowly advance towards the launch pad until the Brit pauses.  
“Ilona, the missile’s shielded! We need another access point!”  
“Head down,” Ilona responded. “You’ll have to use the exhaust vents on the bottom floor.”  
“Copy. Mitchell, we need to head down the stairs. Keep moving forward,” Gideon ordered.  
“It can never be easy, can it?” Mitchell grumbled to himself.

As they made their way downstairs, they continued to engage with more enemy troops.  
“They’re going to launch! GO, GO!” Gideon shouted over the blaring alarms and endless gunfire.  
The pair continued their journey towards the vent while an automatic announcer continually reminded them of their limited time. “Launch in t-minus four minutes.”  
After clearing the area, the duo reached a door and were automatically confronted by ASTs. “Shit! Focus your fire on ‘em, Mitchell! I’ll clear the others.”  
Mitchell’s struggle significantly increased as he took on several ASTs armed to the the teeth with S.W.A.R.M missiles, chain guns, and micro-rockets. The first two confrontations were fine, with the younger soldier defeating the armed machines. However, as more ASTs engaged, Mitchell’s own armor began to weaken after taking so many hits. He began to feel intense burns spread across his front and backside. It didn’t help that Atlas troops surrounded his suit and began to fire bullets that made their way through the cracks of his armor. By the time the area had been cleared, Mitchell found himself kneeling in the sea of bodies and destruction, panting heavily. In addition to the relatively minor burns, he could feel a couple of his old wounds reopen while two new bullet wounds hit his left side and right leg. He forced himself to look forward, only to see Gideon standing in front of him, in his surprisingly still in-take suit.  
“Jesus, those ASTs did a real number on you.” He extended his hand for Mitchell to take. “Come on, we have to keep pushing forward.”  
The younger man grabbed his comrade’s arm and allowed himself to be pulled into a standing position. With Gideon in the lead, the pair began to make their way towards a reinforced door, which the Brit broke with ease.  
“Launch in t-minus two minutes”  
“There's an access point to the exhaust vents up ahead. I'm sending you the position,” Ilona said.  
“Got it!” After a couple of seconds of traveling through the area, Gideon announced, “There’s the hatch. Mitchell, over here!”  
They arrived at the hatch, which was sealed by pistons. Together, the two managed to break them off and allowed room for the door to be released.  
“Okay, on-” He was cut off by another swarm of ASTs approaching them. Gideon turned to Mitchell, whose suit was beginning to falter. “Shit. Mitchell, you need to jump down-”  
“Negative,” the other automatically replied. “I can take them.”  
“Mate, your suit can’t handle anymore hits like this,” Gideon retaliated as he began to lift the hatch. “I can buy you some time, and I’ll see you once I’m finished.”  
_“It’s okay. I’ll see you on the other side.”_  
Mitchell flinched at the memory of Will and returned his attention back to his friend. “B-But-”  
“Launch in t-minus one minute.”  
“Mitchell, there’s no time! You need to stop the launch!!”  
Before he could respond, he felt Gideon shove him down the vent towards Manticore.

He landed inside the vent system with a thud that reverberated throughout the seemingly endless pathway. He slowly stood up and looked up from where he stood moments ago. He could hear the muffled sounds of gunfire from above.  
“FUCK!” he shouted, frustrated and concern laced in his voice. Realizing that he was powerless over the situation, he spent a moment silently praying before directing his attention to the shaft. He began to proceed down the pathway until-  
“Begin primary launch in five…four… three… two…ONE.”  
Instantly, the silence was overpowered by a earth-shattering rumble. The cool air vanished and was replaced by unbearable heat that his metal suit only amplified. Suddenly, flames filled the dark hallway and bolted towards him.  
“Oh sh-”   
Mitchell was thrown off of his feet and rolling backwards. When he managed to regain his balance, his vision was instantly consumed by orange. Every wound and ache faded away… and was substituted by an endless burning sensation. The young soldier couldn’t breath due to the heat, pain, and relentless air from the thrusters. With his teeth gritting against each other, he forced his body forward to trudge through the unforgiving environment.

It felt like a lifetime, but finally managed to reach the rocket. However, as he grew closer and closer, the extreme heat was amplified to an agonizing level. He couldn’t keep his balance and ended up on his knees, one hand bracing his body while the other aimed at the rocket. He closed his eyes and thought of those who sacrificed everything for this moment. He remembered those who perished in order for him to kneel where he was. He imagined all of the billions of lives that would be lost if he failed to complete the mission: innocent civilians, Sentinel Task Force, Ilona… and Gideon. He raised his free arm and automatically began to fire upon the rocket. He gave it everything that he had, and then some. He alternated between weapons, adjusting his position so that the upcoming weapon would have full access to the rocket. He paused for a moment and began to crawl on all fours closer towards Manticore, viciously shutting down the agonizing pain that consumed his already battered body and exhausted mind. He was now mere inches away from the motor of the rocket and resumed his approach of alternating between weapons to destroy the rocket. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the heat and pressure came to a halt. The deafening sound of the engines became erratic before completely shutting down. Mitchell looked up and realized that he had done it. He stopped the launch.

Unable to continue, he found himself tilting to the side and lying limp on the floor. He noticed that his suit was radiating smoke and was beginning to fall apart. Finally, much to his relief, the throbbing sensation from his old and new wounds evolved into a dull throb. His vision swam in and out of focus, grey spots filling his vision. As he lost consciousness, he swore that he could hear a thick British accent echoing from the vent.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Fuck me,” Gideon muttered to himself as he was pinned behind a wall.

The older soldier had dealt with all Atlas soldiers and was left with two more ASTs. While he had enough experience to take out the remaining machines, his own weakened armor was beginning to serve as a liability. He needed to bail out of the suit and find a replacement. Now. He rounded the corner of the wall and fired the remaining S.W.A.R.M missiles at an AST, causing it to erupt into flames. He used the opportunity to ditch his ruined AST suit and roll for cover behind a crate.

“Begin primary launch in five…four… three… two…ONE.”

Any traces of hesitancy or doubt about his insane plane instantly vanished from the older soldier. He unsheathed his knife from his holster and slowly approached the remaining AST. He quietly positioned himself so that he was directly behind the body of armor and, with a deep breath, pulled the manual punch out. As the armored soldier turned behind him, Gideon leaped onto the ASTs back. Suddenly, the area began to shake as if an earthquake had hit the building. A rumbling sound drowned out the blaring alarms and the ASTs own presence. Atlas was going to launch the missiles. Gideon felt a wave of rage and grief wash over him, threatening to consume him. However, he did what he always did; he transformed his fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak into violence. He looked down and saw hints of flesh from the soldier within the AST becoming exposed and, most importantly, vulnerable. Without any hesitation, Gideon raised his knife and began to violently stab any open areas of flesh. By the time the manual punch out completed its body, the soldier within it was already dead, blood and stab wounds completely littering his body. He leaped from the AST and watched the soldier fall onto the floor in a messy heap. Gideon looked around and realized that he was right in the center of massacre: bodies and blood covered the entire space. He closed his eyes and regained control over his breathing, as well as temper. However, as the ringing in his ears began to fade away, he realized something. It was quiet. Far too quiet. There were two possibilities as to why it suddenly became silent: either he blacked out during those tense seconds against the AST and the missile had been launched…or-  
“System error,” a voice announced. “Launch has been aborted.”  
Gideon’s eyes shot open and made their way towards the vent. “Sentinel Two-Two, what’s your status?” Nothing. “Sentinel Two-Two, can you hear me?” Silence. “Mitchell?”  
After waiting a few more seconds and receiving the same response, he equipped the dead Atlas soldier’s AST and ran towards the vent. He didn’t waste a single moment; he practically threw the hatch door open and leaped down into the vent.

He landed inside with an enormous thud. Unfortunately, he had been so focused on Mitchell and the potentially failed launch, he failed to notice the horrid state the newly acquired AST was in. The moment the armor connected with the ground, almost all of its plates and protection fell to the ground, leaving it useless. Gideon didn’t seem to mind, for he made quick work of exiting and abandoning the armor. He picked up his rifle and began to sprint towards the rocket’s location.  
“Mitchell, can you hear me?” he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the space. “Mitchell?!” When he didn’t hear a reply, he cursed with, “Bullocks.”  
Eventually, he made his way to the end and came to halt when saw the state of the rocket. The lower half of Manticore was in complete ruins, sparks and smoke emerging from them every three seconds. Gideon couldn’t help but laugh at the site.  
“Fucking bastard did it,” he said with an enormous, prideful grin.  
He raised his hand towards his communicator and was about to report the mission’s success, when his eyes caught an unnerving scene.

An AST suit lying in front of the damaged rocket, smoke pouring from the seemingly endless damages. It’s armor plates were completely destroyed and detached from its main form. Gideon’s heart rate unexpectedly increased, while a lump began to build in his throat. Slowly, he made his way towards the motionless suit.  
_‘No no no no. Please don’t be in there,”_ Gideon silently begged. _‘Please… not him.’  
_He finally arrived to the AST and could feel heat radiating from the metal plating. He placed his hands where the shoulder plates should’ve been and nearly recoiled his hand due to the intense heat. When he carefully rolled the AST onto its back and felt his heart sink.

“...Mitchell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be two-to-three more chapters that will hopefully explore Gideon's and Mitchell's own backstories, as well as their current relationship! I'm trying to debate whether I should add a small action sequence during the confrontation with Irons -- I'm just really underwhelmed by the ending.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please feel free to write them down in the comments :) Any feedback is extremely helpful to me!
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confrontation against a monster reignites a devastating memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all :)
> 
> Here's another chapter!! I'll explain more about it in the end notes.
> 
> Warning: Grammatical/Spelling errors and possibly slight OOC-ness!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

****After a few moments of staring down at his unresponsive friend, Gideon’s mind switched back into gear. He pushed the AST suit back onto its side and pulled the manual punch out. When the back of the suit slowly peeled open, he grabbed a hold on Mitchell’s uniform and dragged him away from the ruined AST. He covered some distance before he laid Mitchell onto the ground where sunlight illuminated the space. Gideon knelt down and began to assess his comrade’s condition.

Through the peaks of burnt cloth, the older soldier noted that Mitchell’s upper body was covered in burns. While the severity of them varied, leaving any of them unattended to could result in some serious and permanent consequences. In addition, blood began to leak from the wounds he acquired minutes ago, as well as from the Research Center. Gideon leaned down so his right ear was hovering over Mitchell’s mouth, and could hear the strain each shallow inhale had on his friend’s body. With Mitchell’s health in a critical state, as well as Sentinel's previous warning regarding a potential strike against the command center, time was not on their side. Gideon reached for his communicator with one hand, while the other found its way onto Mitchell’s shoulder.

“Kingpin, this is Sentinel Two-One. The launch as been aborted and Sentinel Two-Two is W.I.A. We need a medical evacuation on our location. Do you copy?” His response was nothing but static. “Kingpin, do you copy?!”   
Gideon cursed before turning his attention back to the unconscious soldier. He found himself frozen in place as his own consciousness began to viciously revile him for placing the younger soldier into their current position. He needed to silence that increasingly relentless guilt and assuage his fears. He needed to be sure that he didn’t royally fuck up, especially if was at the expense of his friend.  
“Oi, nap time is over,” he instructed with an authoritative voice. “There’s still a lot that needs to be done, so get your lazy arse up!” He began to shake the unresponsive man’s shoulder, hoping the action would elicit any kind of response. “Mitchell, we need to get out of here before Sentinel lights up the entire place!” Gideon decided to try a more lighter approach. “Come on, you can rest in a helicopter that has a front-row seat to Atlas turning into ashes. We don’t want to miss that, do we?” As he continued to shake Mitchell’s shoulder, desperation began to seep into his voice. “We’ve earned this victory. If you die, then Atlas will have won. You can’t let them claim that victory… not after everything Irons has done to you.” Still nothing. “Mitchell, you need to wake up NOW! That’s an order!!” Out of desperation, Gideon raised his hand and slapped Mitchell’s face, but was met with the same response for the umpteenth time. “Please, Mitchell…” Gideon extended his fingertips towards the younger man’s cheek, his gloved-hand lightly brushing against the other’s flesh. “We… We’re supposed to see Atlas fall _together_ , remember? It won’t be the same without you.” He bowed his head down, grief beginning to make itself known, and closed his eyes. “I can’t do this without you -- I need you here, with me. Please…”

Keeping his fingers on Mitchell’s cheek, Gideon placed his other it over Mitchell’s heart. However, after a couple of seconds of feeling his friend’s irregular heartbeats, he heard a soft groan from below. He snapped his eyes open and looked down at a now barely conscious Mitchell. He couldn’t stop the exhale of genuine relief from escaping his mouth. He noticed that the younger soldier’s blue eyes were glazed over and were unable to focus for an extended period of time. Gideon repositioned himself so that he entered his friend’s field of vision.  
“Mitchell, can you hear me?”  
The other soldier sluggishly blinked up at him and provided him with a weak and slurred, “G’deon?”  
Gideon nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, mate, it’s me. Listen, we stopped the launch!”   
As Mitchell’s eyes lazily found their way towards the ruined rocket, Gideon glanced around the area in an attempt to find an exit. When he pinpointed a starting point, he looked back down and noticed that Mitchell was already beginning to fade. He leaned back closer towards his friend’s face and cupped his neck in order to get his full attention.  
“I’m going to get you out of here. Stay with me!”  
He didn’t even wait to see Mitchell’s response. With renewed adrenaline, he gathered the fallen soldier into his arms and carefully placed him over his shoulders. He could already feel Mitchell growing heavier on his shoulders, but he couldn’t find himself to care about the additional weight.  
“Hang in there, Mitchell,” he muttered to himself as he proceeded towards the first exit. “We’re leaving together, or not at all.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mitchell was already feeling awful; the fact that he was being jostled around irritated him, to say the least. With a groan, he slowly peeled his eyes open and found himself staring down at a floor. He felt waves of nausea surge through his body when his weary mind processed that he was, in fact, moving. He tried to lift his head upwards, but the small action was too much of a strain on his battered body. He let his head drop back down and passed out.

He was jolted back into consciousness when he felt himself dip backwards onto a hard surface. When he opened his eyes, he saw Gideon practically tossing him onto the floor before taking cover behind a small surface. He forced himself focus and saw Atlas troops approaching them with their weapons drawn. Mitchell instinctively reached for his Atlas 45 and began firing at the incoming soldiers. Usually, shooting a handgun like that would be a walk in the park. However, his non-idealist condition made aiming and firing far more difficult. By the time he finished clearing the hallway, his right arm fell limply back onto the floor. He weakly turned his head towards the other direction, where he noticed a hidden Atlas troop quietly approaching the pair, his gun trained on Gideon’s head. Mitchell felt a surge of adrenaline course through his body and quickly aimed his weapon at the soldier. Despite aiming for the head, he fired his last remaining round at the enemy’s leg, which caused the man to fall onto the ground. He extended his hand forward and managed to grab ahold of the man’s knife, located on his chestplate. With a growl, he repeatedly stabbed the soldier in the neck, refusing to take any chances with a single blow. When the growing pool of blood confirmed that the man had been killed, Mitchell felt his energy completely drain itself. He weakly turned his head and saw Gideon staring at the Atlas soldier’s body in shock, as if he was still trying to process what had just transpired. After a couple of seconds, the older soldier returned his attention to Mitchell. Gideon fell onto his knees and gently cupped Mitchell’s head in both of his hands, forcing himself into the injured man’s line of vision.  
“Mitchell? Are you with me?”  
The younger soldier tried to respond or give some kind of indication that he was, but he could feel the temptation of unconsciousness begin to tug at his senses. As vision began to swim in and out of focus, he saw Gideon kneel down place the now useless handgun back into its holster before placing one of his hands onto his chest.   
He leaned a bit closer towards his face and gently ordered, “We’ve got to keep moving. Stay with me.”  
The hand that was resting on his chest suddenly grabbed ahold of his own suit in order to pull him upwards. The moment he was placed over his friend’s shoulder, Mitchell fell unconscious.

Throughout however length of time, Mitchell went in and out of consciousness, catching glimpses of New Baghdad, which now looked like a warzone. He could also pick up pieces of conversations that were occuring within his communicator.   
“ Sentinel Two-One, city defenses are breaking,” Kingpin informed. “Atlas troops are collapsing. We need to know the status of that launch!”   
**“** Copy that, Kingpin. The launch has been aborted. Repeat: the launch has been aborted! Do you copy? Kingpin, come in!”  
“Ilona, are you receiving?! The launch has been aborted and Mitchell is W.I.A!”  
Mitchell wanted to reassure both Ilona and Gideon that he was fine, but he instead chose to black out. When he came to yet again, he heard Gideon’s frustrated and concerned voice.  
**“** Dammit, we're cut off! We need to move. They're going to hit this building any minute!!”  
Darkness.

Eventually, Mitchell could feel his body return back into the land of the living. He didn’t feel as exhausted as he had earlier, but he still felt extremely weak. He wasn’t entirely sure if he had opened his eyes, for the entire area was nearly black. He managed to lift his head and found himself staring at a wall that contained Atlas’ logo. Where the hell-  
“Mitchell, are you with me?”  
“Gideon?”  
“Thank Christ,” the older man muttered more to himself. “Listen, I’m setting you down now. I need you to try and walk so we can find some light. Copy?”  
Mitchell raised his right hand and patted the man’s soldier in order to confirm that he’d heard the order. He was placed onto the ground and began to roll onto his stomach in order to use the surface in front of him for support. As he began to slowly stand up, he felt Gideon’s hands wrap themselves around his right bicep, providing additional support and comfort.  
“Thanks,” he said as he straightened up. “Where the hell are we?”  
“Atlas Command Center,” Gideon responded.  
“Why aren’t we at ground level?”  
“We don’t have the right exo-suit equipped, and it would’ve a pain trying to scale the building with your deadweight.”  
Mitchell looked down at the ground as guilt began to seep into him. “You should’ve left m-”  
“Don’t even finish that sentence!”  
Before an argument could commence, the lights suddenly turned back on…revealing an infuriated Irons.  
“Hello Mitchell.” 

Gideon instinctively pushed Mitchell behind him and raised his weapon, with the other soldier raising his own as well. “Don’t you fucking move!”  
“I could ask the same of you,” Irons replied as he pulled out a tablet from his vest.  
Instantly, both of their exo-suits began to malfunction, locking them into place and causing them to involuntarily pull their triggers. “He’s hacking into our exos. I’m out of ammo!” Gideon shouted.  
Slowly, Irons walked towards the now immobilized pair while placing the tablet back into his vest. “You rely too much on those things.”   
“The city is falling; it’s over!”  
Irons turned to Gideon. “What I’ve stared won’t end with me. It’s bigger than me, and it’s certainly bigger than YOU!” He looked back at Mitchell before grabbing his handgun and tossing it aside. “You think I’m a monster? That’s only because you don’t have the conviction to do what’s necessary!”  
“Necessary?!” Gideon responded incredulously. “The attack on America? Unleashing Manticore? Killing thousands of innocent people?!”  
“I’m saving the world from itself! When there’s no one left to challenge Atlas, there will be no more wars! There had to be sacrifices along the way.”  
“Yeah… twisted fucks throughout history have used the same argument.” Suddenly, the entire facility began to shake following an explosion from above. “ They don't know we stopped the launch --They'll bring this entire building down on top of you!”  
Gideon could see the rage flash through Irons’ eyes. Without any warning, Irons withdrew his own pistol that was resting in his vest and aimed it directly at Mitchell’s face. The younger soldier was so focused on the barrel mere centimeters from his eyes that he didn’t see Gideon staring at him in absolute horror.  
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Gideon growled.  
Irons ignored the Brit and continued to stare at Mitchell, who felt his own facade begin to crumble. “I could’ve kill you in the prison camps. I could kill you now!!!” A beat. “But I won’t. I’m not a monster,” he hissed.  
Irons places his pistol back into its holster before slowly backing away from the pair. Soon enough, his jogs evolved into sprints.

“Mitchell, try to hit the release on your exo!”  
The younger soldier used all of his strength to slowly connect his right hand to the electric band around his left wrist. After a couple of strenuous seconds, he finally managed to break free from the suit  
“Now mine,” Gideon commanded.  
When Mitchell hit the button, it refused to release his friend. Frustrated, he hit the button repeatedly but was met with the same _System Failure_ sign.  
“It’s not working…”  
“Hold on!”  
Another explosion shakes the building. “There’s no time-”  
_“Mitchell, we’re out of time!”  
_“-if he gets away, then this will have all been for nothing. Don’t worry about me, mate!”  
_“Don't worry about that timer.”  
_“Hang on!” Mitchell requested, his voice rising a bit, as he repeatedly hit the release button with excessive force.  
“Negative! Go. NOW!!”  
_“You gotta go, now! You gotta jump, now!”_  
“No! I’m getting you out of here!”  
“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! THAT’S AN ORDER!!”  
“I’M NOT LEAVING YOU, WILL!!!”

Despite the explosions that continued to rock the building, it felt as if their worlds had come to a sudden halt. The two men were looking at each other, each one wearing a variety of expressions. They stood there in silence for a couple of moments, before another explosion hit the building. Gideon was the first one to compose himself.  
“Mitchell,” he began in a more calmer, gentler tone, “everything will be alright. I’ll be fine.” When Mitchell shook his head, the other man pressed forward. “We can’t let Irons get away with everything he’s done. We have to stop him… You have to stop him.”   
“Gideon-”   
“Everything will be okay, mate. I promise. I’ll see you topside.”  
_“It's okay. I'll see you on the other side.”_ _  
_Mitchell blinked away the painful memory and began to slowly back away from his immobilized friend. When Gideon shot him a reassuring smile, the younger soldier felt something inside his heart break. He hated the idea of leaving the older man alone in a crumbling building. Yet, at the same time, he also loathed Irons and all of the avoidable pain he had inflicted upon the world. He had to stop that monster… no matter the cost. In the end, it’s what Will would’ve wanted.

After solemnly nodding to the man who had grown to become his brother, he turned around and began to pursue Irons.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to explore Mitchell's relationship with Gideon a bit more. Honestly, I view them as brothers who deeply care for one-another and who would do practically anything for the other. Gideon's predicament slightly mirrored Will's own demise, so I wanted to extend upon that a bit more.
> 
> The next chapter will focus more on how Gideon feels about Mitchell, as well as his own role as a leader.
> 
> Questions/Comments/Concerns/Insults/Thoughts of love?? Please let me know and write them down :0) I enjoy reading comments and feedback! They always help improve my writing.
> 
> Take Care and Party Hard :0)


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